A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Feel free to join in, use the acronym, and use up your NBUS too! Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

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February 3, 2014

Fullness of Joy!

Welcome!

It's Week #6 of Year #2014! What shall be writ on our slates this week?

I'm very happy this Monday for the desperately needed bit of rain we got yesterday in northern California. I hope that means that parts of the UK received a much-needed respite. We have had the least rain in January since record-keeping began and parts of England have had the most rain in January since record-keeping began. It would be nice if Mama Nature evened things out a bit.

I'm also happy to be a Guest Designer at the well-known merriest Christmas challenge called Merry Monday Christmas Challenge! Our photo inspiration board this week challenges us to wear stockings on our cards!

Here is my stocking'd card:

A side: I've been asked by the Y to apologize. I was interrupted by a phone call when I was taking the photos and one call lead to another ... by the time I got back to taking pictures, the Y had gotten tired and slipped a little in the chorus line. He's got the worst job of all the letters because he has to stand on one leg with the other one kicking up while holding both arms out and yelling, "Hallelujah!" I mean, who wouldn't get tired after a while and a half?

The joyful letters die is from Stampin' Up. The snowflake ribbon is from everyone's favorite girlfriend, JoAnn. The little wooden stocking is from GKW; I've had it in my Odds & Ends for ages.

***

Since snippets of ribbon and mirror card were used for all the features of my card, I'm skipping joyfully over to the playground at Pixie's Snippets Playground. Our beautiful hostess worked very hard last week to come up with a logo button for her pixies. Way to go, Di!! We now have keys to the playground labeled "Snippet Keys" in happy rainbow colors!

Please click on the links to join in the fun and get all the details about sponsors, prizes, and rules.

~~~Chit Chat

I'm over my cold finally! Settle down, the bad news is I'm starting six weeks of physical therapy, twice a week, for my knee, whose pain is either reflective of an upcoming visit from Arthur I. Tis [rat fink] or somehow I have torn my mahisskiss [Latin]. I'm really intrigued at how I was able to tear anything when the extent of my daily exercise consists primarily of rolling around in my desk chair. My second hobby is being a medical mystery.

Actually, I have an amusing true story about my knees. (I want to emphasize "true" because my stories are usually lies.) When I was 12 years old, I started getting severe pain in both knees during Physical Exercise (PE) Class, especially doing an exercise that was called the Squat Thrust. Seriously. Anyone remember that exercise? You'd pay big money to a personal trainer today to learn it in order to round out your assets, so to speak. Back then it was a for-reals government-sanctioned exercise in a series of exercises we had to do. More's the pity that PE is no longer a requirement in schools.

But I digest. The small town doctor diagnosed me with a form of Osteoporosis and said I had "calcium deposits" in both knees. The treatment consisted of full leg casts from the ankle to the top of the leg, on both legs, at the same time, for six months! It was quite memorable for two reasons:

First, my school was a two-story building and you can imagine the vision I was lurching from one foot to the other up the stairs several times a day with both legs straight out in those casts. Not to mention that back in the day girls wore dresses to school so the boys mercilessly teased me while they peeked up my dress as I ascended the stairs.

Second, after six months, the casts were removed and I can still visualize myself sitting in the bathtub staring down at my little legs which had atrophied to mere skin on bones. I filled them out quickly, but it took a few days to learn how to walk again.

The doctor also told us that my condition would recur and I would very likely end up in a wheel chair by the time I was thirty. Thank goodness she was wrong about that!

So last week when I told the orthopedic doctor my knee history, he shook his head with wonder at the things they did back then. He's never heard of calcium deposits in the knees. Wait. Whaat?! And while he was appalled that I was in casts like that for so long, he said that casts were the standard remedy used for all kinds of tendon and joint pain back then.

Just to clarify, "back then" was the year 1961, not the year 1861! How blessed we are with the advances in medicine!

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment and/or join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!

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84 comments:

Darnell your post had me smiling with the poor tired " y" , and then giggling at your prose about squat thrusts! My heart goes out to you about the casts and your knee pain...truly no fun! Thanks for sharing your sweet card! And again for your visit to my blog yesterday! :)

The little wooden stocking is super-cute Darnell - absolutely LOVE it! I would never have thought of a Y having arms and legs of the moving, walking kind!! I will treat Y's with much more respect in future. That said, I think your card is fabulous! I would also like to thank YYYYou for the wonderful comment yyyyou left on mYYY Prim PoppYYY card.Big Hugs, Syyyylvia xx

Congrats Guest Designer! I LOVE your card Darnell with that sweet stocking charm. Now I seem to think that my girlfriend had surgery about 5 years ago because she had calcium deposits on both of her knees!! I need to get in touch with her as clarify! I do remember her in quite a lot of pain for a long time before her surgery. Yes thank goodness to advances in medicine!

I'm here!! Things are looking up in the computer dept. This is the most snow we have ever had this year. It has been a strange year weather wise for everyone. I love this little stocking. I'm so happy you have instigated NBUS. I am now looking at all my "stuff" and how to use it now rather than when I bought it and knew what I was going to do with it. Happy you have parted with the nasty cold and are feeling better. What a shame about your diagnosis back when and you wore those casts at all, let alone for so long. We've come a long way baby. This Arthur thing is really a "pain" so I hope it's not that in your knees. Hopefully therapy will help clear up the pain.

Glad your cold is waning. Weally, weally glad! I've always found "Y"s to be a bit on the sassy side. Sometimes in a good way...like on this card! I'm guessing that this one just wanted to stand out a teeny bit more than usual. Such a schweet card. Love the little stocking, and all the shine. Very nice. Very festive! In high school, back in the day...I too, wore a stovepipe cast. Didn't do a darn bit of good...left knee still bad, but am dealing with it. PT is a good thing and I hope it gives you lots of benefits. Talka me later. Bev

Awww, poor Y. I hope he's had a good rest and will be up for another performance soon! He and his fellows do look rather splendid up there!

And I enjoyed your knee story (not the fact that you had to be in leg casts for so long, only the fun way you have of telling stories!). There's a lot of barmy things that used to be normal but aren't any more. Hey, they used to prescribe cigarettes at the doctors once upon a time! x

Love the card. Happy, happy, happy! CAS. Esh!! Acronym. Snowing here! Hard! If I could I would pack it ALL up sand send it to you. This one is the HEAVY kind. Cherokee doesn't like it either. Says "Make to easy for Maw Squaw to track Cherokee." That's different.

Hey Ms. Guest Designer! Hahaha, I hate it when I realize my letters have let me down when I go to write my post, especially when it's now dark out and I can't take another photo. But it's an awesome stocking card, just the same. I am shocked to hear of your torture, umm, medical treatment, "back in the day." I can't imagine my kids having full leg casts for a half year. We have come a long way indeed!

Your card is so adorable, Darnell! Love the little stocking and that shiney paper! Also love the "joyful"! Thanks for being our Guest Designer this week and take care of those knees. We are getting some very heavy snow today...so sick of it now. Wish we could send it your way! Have a great day! :)

I can relate to the knee problems, but mine came later and didn't have to go through the medieval treatments (that was the my elbow's affair) Arthur came to visit the knee, but became a permanent resident, didn't like being so low and came on up to my fingers, where there is more action! LOL

Your card is adorable, lazY Y and all. Congrats on being a "Guest" Designer.

Well. Then. First off, glad to hear that Merry Monday has us putting stockings on our cards and not wearing stockings whilst making cards. And I feel for that poor tired joyful little Y. Sometimes you just need a rest. As for your knees I have crooked kneecaps and they caused much havoc in my childhood. I didn't get your cure but probably only because I had very poor medical care as a kid. I didn't find out they were crooked until sometime in my 30s. I had "growing pains" in my legs as a teen as well. I have no idea what they were and sometime still get them. Only now it much be due to growing wider, as I'm surely not growing taller.

I know somone that had Osgood Schlatter disease (main sympton is knee pain) treated with a full leg cast in the 70's - definitely not how they treat it today. You poor thing - can't believe you had to navigate stairs like that :( Love the card and congrats on the guest designer spot!

I love your joyful card, tired "Y" and all! I can't believe they put you in full leg casts for 6 months!! That's crazy! My mom was in a full leg cast when she was 18 but she broke her leg or I suppose the guy driving the motorcycle broke it really, when he hit her. It never got set right so it's a bit crooked and her knee gives her trouble sometimes. It really is amazing how far medicine has come. Let's hope your knee improves swiftly so you can get back to rolling your craft chair all over the Playhouse! ;-). Take care!

My goodness Darnell, what a story, you don't do things by half do you. How on earth did you manage to get about with both legs in plaster! As for PE, it's still a compulsory part of the curriculum in Dvotland, much to the disgust of my two teenagers! Beautiful card, BTW, an the 'y' looks perfectly fine! Xx

Congrats on guesting Darnell, CUTE card today! The little dangling stocking is super cute. Sorry about your knee pain...casts for SIX months on a little kid...YIKES! Hopefully modern medicine will give you a bit more help!

I'm so pleased that I had time to stop and look at your blog this evening, you always cheer me up.Congrats on your GDT spot. Your card is gorgeous, I do love the lettering and cute stocking.Oh my goodness, poor you having to have full leg casts for 6 months. I hope your physio goes okay and helps with the pain.hugs Sue xx

Fabulous card and I love that little stocking Darnell. Your blog post's always cheer me up, I thought it was bad enough to have one full length cast on my leg when I broke it nevermind two at once! you poor thing lots of huggles Sue xxxx

Aw, bless your heart, sounds like you went through so much 'back then' but you have such a great knack for making me chuckle regardless! And as for your 'y', I think he looks quite happy sitting on that cute little ribbon, very much at home.

There are so many challenges I don't currently follow but I may have to just add MM to my list...congrats on your GD role too :)

Oh, and thank you for making my day. I saw your comment about my CASology HM before I knew anything about it! Yay :) xx

Hello Miss Darnell, boy you had me laughing, your comedy mind is brilliant,then on my goodness bless you,my BF son was only one and they put him in those cast, much more traumatic when your 12 and in school, your right ,thank goodness medicine is much more advanced, and that silly Dr was wrong.. Now back to your card, WELL YA you should be guest designing, you are the Challenge Queen and card maker extraordinaire,, I love the Y,he looks joyful, love you tiny wooden stocking, excellent job as Guest Designer, thanks for just being you, and have a wonderful week, no rain, I'd dye LOL..((( BIG HUGS)))..

Love reading your posts, Darnell! Sorry to hear about you knee pain. Your card is so fun. Love the stocking and the falling "Y". haha Thank you for guesting with us this week at Merry Monday. We love having you!

Just love your cute little red stocking Dippy. Think poor "y" needs a little scaffolding! Unfortunately your joy at the rainfall you had didn't actually diminish the amount we are getting.......it's pouring as we speak with worse forecast over the next few days - talk about biblical proportions! Just can't see an end in sight. Weird about your calcium deposits...always thought osteoporosis was a lack of calcium??? Can just imagine how your poor little legs looked after the casts came off.......

Such a joyful fun card, so charming. Thanks for sharing your traumatic story we can all appreciate how things have improved, but what torture and a horrific forecast for your future. I pray the therapy is helpful. Hugs Carole

Thanks for stopping to make a comment on my LIM entry. I have hit a dry spell, am really slacking on the blog posts and WOYWW. Got a new dog, that's part of it, he's high maintainence at this point, but a great dog. So sorry to hear about your knee problems, what a story! I can imagine what it was like trying to get up those stairs, and of course no elevators! Take care!

I noticed the Y right off and thought "uh oh". Now I understand. Maybe it has knee problems, too. Sorry about yours but physical therapy is a wonderful thing. I love your little stocking. It truly is a joyful card.

Your posts always make me laugh Darnell and this one's no exception...it took a while to work out what on earth you were talking about when you mentioned the 'Y'! (Bit slow aren't I?!) Glad your 1961 doctor was so completely wrong about your knees...in this litigious world you could probably sue them for that! Lovely card btw...that stocking is so sweet!

Y oh Y do you make me laugh so much?!! Love the card, absolutely love the sweet little stocking and of course I LOVE the Y!! Oh man, your knee story is crazy!! I can not even imagine what those six months must have been like! And to find out years later that your diagnosis and prognosis were bunk! What a whole bunch of crazy, unnecessary stress...you poor thing! Hopefully this mahisskiss can be dealt with much more sensibly with physio and you will be back to normal in no time!!!

Darnell...oh the life you lead...so glad you are documenting all this on your blog...a treasure for your grandsons! What a cute cute card, love that little stocking charm! So glad you are guest designing on MM!!

Love this card Darnell, and especially that lovely stocking. What a great story about your poor 'Y' well I think he just looks relaxed and quite at ease, and I love the red mirror card and that gorgeous snowflake ribbon. Sorry to hear about your knee pain, hopefully the physio will help it. I had a ruptured achilles tendon about nine years ago and had to have a cast up to the knee for 3 months and that was quite long enough! The leg has looked a bit sorry for itself ever since but works ok. I can imagine how long 6 months must have seemed! x

Aaawww, I can't believe that those doctor's would do that to your poor 12-year old self! That's awful! Let's move on to more fun things, like your cute card, the Guest DT spot, the funny cartoon and that your cold is better! Hope the PT will help!

I shouldn't be laughing but I am. You are a one! Now bout Mr Y. He looks to me to be in the writ place. We wos taught that letters wid curly tales should sit on the line and hang free so to speak. The line being yer bit of ribbon.That wos back in 1961 too or even a bit earlier. Wos the time when you got the blackboard rubber thrown at yer ead for doing nout!Come to think of it probably was why it got thrown cos we wos sitting not doing anything.hugs Mrs A. p.s. You haven't seen the glu pot ave you? Viv has hidden it. Iv'e duffed the playground over looking for it.

Darnell...your card is just too cute, I love your little red cast, I mean stocking. Your story is just amazing, and you look so good for being born back in the 1860's...LOL Don't you just love the advances in medicine, I am blind in one eye since birth and my doctor thought it would be good to put a patch over my good eye and send me off in the world...too funny but so glad my parents did not go for that too long. Feel better sweetie and if you need anything, let me know, I am not too far away to help!

Congrats on your Guest Designer spot...Cute card that you created for the challenge. And you inspired me to enter the challenge for the first time. I gave you another "shout out" on my blog today. and I am sending you an email...(tomorrow it's too late tonight...smile.)

I'm still lovin that little stocking and the girlfriend ribbon! So glad to see you in the Merry Monday Design Team lineup again. Hope PT will ease the pain in you knees! It's bound to be better for, and more comfortable, than full leg casts! What a blessing that medical care has improved so much!

Im still reeling from your truthful ( for once ) tale of the calcium deposits !!!!!!!!! poor you how dreadful, that must have been really character building !!! I remember squat thrusts and am so glad they are illegal am sure all of us who endured have ended up with some problem as a result. Hope the physical therapy helps. Congrats on your guest DT post and fabulous joyful card I think he looks super in that positive and he really draws attention to himself and rightly so !

I Love your slipped "Y" ... makes your card even more interesting ... I can hardly believe you endure all that time in plaster casts and for nothing! Yikes!I remember a lot of PE ... don't think they even do it here anymore! Hope your knees feel better soon ... I sympathise!

Darnell, this is such a cute card! Love that little stocking charm dangling under the sentiment! Perfectly CAS! Oh, and don't worry about Y. She hit the spiked eggnog while you were on the phone and got herself schnokkered up! LOL!

Super cute be-stocking'ed card! And it's no wonder, considering your Playhouse! Darn you! I have work to do and just spent WAY TOO long admiring your crafty space, how AWESOME! :) So glad you could join us this week as GD at Merry Monday!

So pleased to hear you're feeling much better, Darnell ... hope the knees respond to treatment this time better than they did in the day! Congratulations on your so well merited GD spot ... your card is so super cute ... the wee stocking's such a sweet touch! IMHO, that Y is just expressing itself! Hugs, Anita :)

Darnell, you tell the best stories...I wish I could sit and have a chat with you round the breakfast table...it would be a hoot! Love your little lilting "y" in joyful...in fact I think I might have that die and have never used it! I think!!!! I'll have to check! Anyway, I love everything about your card, but the little stocking stole my heart!

hullo there Missus Darnell.... just chuckled my way throguh this really came over for quick comment but off course had to read it all have just picked up x-rays from my left knee and think it says there is floating bone on there.. mm curious that oh and also said bit of arthur too. Oh and have some NBUS on my desk today :D Shaz in Oz.x

Oh your poor Y! Glad to see you gave him the day off today! Love the card, very cool. Sorry I haven't been around much lately, no excuse, well lots really but I can't be arsed to type it all out!! Just winter crappy stuff. You really made the best decision when you left Iowa! Can't believe you sent that long in leg casts, I always say there's a reason why Doctors practice!!

Your Y story is funny :). I'm sorry about your knees. I remember those squat thrusts from junior high school, and not fondly. I have arthritis in both knees, with the left being the worst. I had therapy many years ago. Now I exercise daily and swear by glucosamine. Good luck to you and your knees and congrats on the guest DT assignment :)

Yes, the poor y does have a most challenging job, however, you've given it a place of prominence on your wonderful card -congrats on your GD role! - so it *should* be waving its arms and singing praise! Your cast story: oh how unfortunate that 12 year old you had to endure 6 months of cast-induced lurch-walking and subsequent muscle aptrophy! I'm glad you rebounded, evidently with self-esteem and sense of humour intact! Oh the stories we could tell over a cup (or several) of coffee! AWESOME post; delightful card! Hope the PT for your mahisskiss works wonders! My husband had similar knee issues (hockey, which strikes me as odd because I've never seen him on skates, much less hockeying (I'm sure he was a real Wayne Gretzky on the ice.) Apparently he did have a live *BC* - before Carol...) Hugs~c

Darnell, this is a seriously cute Christmas card, even with the slipping y. (I wouldn't have noticed!) What can I even say about that story...good heavens, thank goodness we have come along in our medical advances! Good luck with PT. Yikes!

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About Me

I have been stamping and making cards since 2002. I've been married 47 years to Kevin, known herein as "Mister." Our son Daniel and his wife Rachel have twin sons Henry and Adam. Card-making and blogging are wonderful hobbies which have brought me noodles of friends! Oh, and I have an imaginary hamster named Hammy who keeps me in line. Thank you for visiting, joining, and commenting! It will be my pleasure to return the flavor!!